The invention relates to a knit product comprising a knit base in which a base thread is incorporated and that, in a manner known per se, may comprise any pattern and/or design that is appropriate for the intended purpose of use.
In nursing facilities, in particular in elder care, it is frequently a problem for bed-ridden patients that care providers will only find out after many hours that a patient has wet his or her bed. Inasmuch as this also frequently occurs while sleeping, even those who are afflicted notice this only after several hours. As a result, such patients will rest for hours in a moist or even wet bed. This considerably intensifies the discomfort of developing bed sores. Apart from the added problems experienced by the patient as a result of this, additional efforts required on behalf of these patients result in high costs in healthcare.
If it were possible to promptly report wetting to care providers, patients could be cared for immediately. A patient would no longer lie for hours in a moist or wet bed and would thus not develop bed-sores as quickly.
Basically, in cases of strong perspiration, similar problems may occur in garments such as for example, in knit sweaters and the like, or in knit underwear. Also in these instances, considering certain illness conditions, there may be a need to report perspiration break-outs or the like directly to a station so that appropriate measures may be taken. Likewise, similar problems occur with infants whose cribs are provided with mattress liners or coverlets that are occasionally wet through.
There are textile moisture sensing arrangements that consist of woven material into which electrically conductive and electrically poorly conductive threads are woven in such a manner that electrically poorly conductive threads are located between electrically conductive threads. Inasmuch as the electrical resistance changes when the action of moisture changes, a monitoring of the electrical conductivity in the knit fabric between the electrically conductive threads allows the detection of moisture occurring in the fabric.
A woven material comprises crossing weft and warp thread systems whose threads are not only firmly locked with other on their binding points but are also readily accessible from the side of the fabric selvedge in order to be able to attach electrical lines. However, there are applications, in particular in the case of undergarments in which woven fabrics are not practical or disadvantageous compared with knit fabrics. Considering knit fabrics, i.e., a non-woven, the stitches formed by the respective thread are hinged to each other on their stitch loops and are thus changeable in view of their size as well as relative to each other when stressed. Consequently, any findings and experiences gained with woven goods can not be simply applied to knit goods.
It is the object of the invention to solve the aforementioned problems in the case of knit fabrics and, in particular also in the case of garments and the like that contain a knit item or are produced in full or in part of such a knit item.